It is so typical to see Hollywood create movies where romances have happy endings, but what happens when a love story is nowhere near predictable? In the newest craze “Gone Girl,” Nick (Ben Affleck) and Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) shows audiences what the real meaning of “on the edge of your seat” feels like.
Before even entering the theatre, you think you know the story. Even with no knowledge of the book, you get a sense that this is just the usual husband kills wife plot—or at least that’s what I thought.
The movie opens up with Nick going to a bar to meet his sister (Carrie Coon). Immediately, you think that he must have a drinking problem because the scene is set early in the morning. After getting a call at the bar from a neighbor about the cat being let out, Nick rushes home. While entering his kitchen, he notices that a table has been flipped upside down and smashed. He calls for his wife, but there is no answer.
The rest of the movie is twist after twist after twist, and there is no telling what will happen next (unless you read the book!). As the investigation progresses, “Gone Girl” gives a completely new meaning to the word ‘gone.’
The way Nick tries to convince the crowd he had nothing to do with the disappearance of his wife is chilling. On one hand, you want to believe everything he is saying. But at the same time, all signs point to him. As Nick’s character develops throughout the movie, you can tell that the harsh words of the media take a beating on him, as if he knows he did not kill his wife but the media’s interrogation makes him question himself.
One of the biggest plot twists comes as soon as the audience thinks they have it all figured out. Without giving anything away, let’s just say this movie does not feel as if it is two and a half hours long.
Even though Affleck, Pike, and Coon are the main focus in the mystery-thriller-love story that “Gone Girl” is, there are a few familiar faces you can expect to see on the screen. Neil Patrick Harris plays Desi Collings, a past love interest of Amy. This is unlike any other character Harris has played. He is creepy, overbearing, and controlling, which are opposites of his usually funny roles.
Audiences will also see Tyler Perry play Tanner Bolt, a lawyer who decides he wants to defend Nick in court. Known best for his series of “Tyler Perry’s Madea” movies, it was refreshing to see Perry in something new. One other face audiences might recognize is Emily Ratajkowski, whose character Andie Hardy gets caught up in Nick and Amy’s drama. Ratajkowski is a well-known model, and can be seen in the music video for the song “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke.
It is safe to say that director David Fincher is no stranger to being part of amazing films. With movies like “The Social Network,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” and “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” under his belt, Fincher seems to have been the best choice for this outstanding film.
Before “Gone Girl” was a movie, it was a book. Author Gillian Flynn has published three novels: “Sharp Objects,” “Dark Places,” and “Gone Girl.” While she might have not been thinking about making her books into movies when writing them, she had her fair share of involvement when it came to putting “Gone Girl” on the big screen. She wrote the screenplay for the movie, and even got to be on set for production. Everything from the book that Flynn believed belonged in the movie made it to the final cut.
According to Box Office Mojo, the film has made id=”mce_marker”61.5 million so far. The budget for the film was $61 million, and was expected to make north of $30 million.
This movie definitely makes you go through a range of emotions. From hating a character, to loving them, and then feeling sorry for them, this is a must see!
IMAGE TAKEN from independent.co.uk
